1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a clamping apparatus and an apparatus for fastening and, more particularly, to a clamping apparatus to be used with a clevis and to a fastening apparatus which apparatus includes a clevis.
2. Description of the Related Art
A clevis, i.e., a U-shaped shackle that has holes drilled in the ends or flanges of the "U" to receive a bolt, is often used in various industries for attaching one part to another. For example, in the automotive industry, automotive parts, such as motors, have been attached to rigid members, such as crossmembers, using clevis fasteners. In these instances, the rigid member has a rigid clevis attached thereto or integral therewith and the automotive part has a mounting projection with a hole drilled therethrough. To fasten the automotive part to the rigid member, the mounting projection is inserted between the flanges of the clevis so that the hole in the mounting projection is aligned with the holes in the flanges of the clevis so that a bolt or pin may be passed through the aligned holes.
In the past, to achieve a snug fit between the thing being mounted (the mounting projection) and the ends of the U-shape of the clevis, the distance between the ends of the "U" were designed and manufactured to be so close that the ends of the clevis "U" could be squeezed together during fastening to make the ends of the thing being mounted touch both sides of the clevis "U". This gave a snug fit.
However, such clevis fastening is not without its problems. Firstly, it is difficult to manufacture clevises with close tolerances in order to achieve such a close fit to the mounting projection. It is also difficult to assemble a mounting projection with a clevis when the clevis has such a close tolerance. In addition, when the clevis is rigid, it is difficult to squeeze the flanges to achieve the secure fit. Furthermore, deflection of the flanges during assembly causes undesirable stresses to the clevis, resulting in more failures of the clevis.
It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to provide a clamping apparatus to be used with clevis fasteners and a fastening apparatus which includes a clevis, which apparatuses preclude the need to deflect the flanges of the clevis in order to achieve a secure fit.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a clamping apparatus to be used with a clevis and a fastening apparatus which includes a clevis, which apparatuses allow greater tolerances on the distance between the flanges of the clevis.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a clamping apparatus to be used with a clevis and a fastening apparatus which includes a clevis, which apparatuses achieve a secure joint between two parts.